Grinding / Buzzing Fan

Hi guys,

So my out of warranty Surface Pro has developed a potentially very expensive / annoying problem......

One of the CPU fans has become extremely noisey when the CPU is under load and it's trying to cool the thing down. We're not talking about wooshing air here, it sounds like a mosquito has got inside and is buzzing like its on drugs. Essentially its sounds mechanical...

I'm loathed to take the machine to Microsoft as I think I'll get automatically told to send it off for servicing and it'll cost me $300 - $500 to replace a $20 fan. So what I'm trying to find first is a safe lubricant that I can spray into the vents on the device (ideally while it's on) in an attempt to lube up whatever is causing the buzzing.

Does anyone really technical have an suggestions? My reading so far suggests a silicon based spray is good. But I'm terrified to spray anything into it!

If the spray solution doesn't work I'm guessing the only option after that is to surrender my credit card to Microsoft?

3 Answers

Try tilting your Surface Pro to horizontal then upright. If the noise level changes, then the fan blades are moving on their bearings or something inside there (dust) is moving. I found that my Surface Pro was silent in the upright position and making a noise like the fan blade was touching something in the horizontal position.

I found that giving the chassis a few old fashioned bangs, while holding in the quiet upright position, dislodged whatever the fan was touching, and I'm now back to silent running.

A very good friend of mine services hundreds of computers every week. He tells me he *always* begins by vacuum cleaning the computers. It's amazing what rubbish those fans suck in, and I'm thinking the Surface Pro's fans can't have much clearance inside that narrow chassis, so getting any dust out is a good first step.

Start with the computer powered off. Attach a vacuum cleaner hose to one of the vents using Duct Tape, or similar, to get a really good seal. Power on the vacuum cleaner and rotate the Surface Pro in all directions. Give it a few slaps on the chassis (NOT the Screen) to help dislodge any trapped particles. If my friend is right - and he invariably is - you should get a lot of dust and detritus out. This will improve the cooling airflow, even if it doesn't immediately cure the problem. Repeat the process on both sides, as particles that are trapped sometimes only release when sucked in one direction.

DO NOT be tempted to use one of those Air Blower aerosols. They spray a liquid gas (usually Butane) which may come out partially in liquid form. This isn't something you want on a live circuit board. And, yes, that circuit board is still partially live after shutdown! That's part of the reason why the Surface Pro can start up so quickly.

Previously, I advised attaching a vacuum cleaner to clean dirt and dust out of our Surface Pro. That's what I did on the advice of an expert on PC maintenance. It helped, but didn't entirely cure the problem.

Today, about a year on, my Surface Pro still has some fan noise on occasion, but the good news is that the fans have mostly quietened down. I only get the worn fan bearings noise every now and again.

However, my concern was whether the fans were still doing their job. Well, a bit of research has revealed that the i5 processor should operate at a core temperature between 40 and 80°C. If it exceeds these parameters (bearing in mind the maximum temperature for the i5 processor is 100°C) then your Surface Pro should automatically shut itself down, with a warning message to tell you what's happening, and not permit a restart until a safe temperature is reached. So you should be safe, even if the fans aren't doing their job.

Tonight, my Surface Pro was getting hot while I was playing a video. I had the idea to find a core temperature monitor that'd confirm how hot the Surface Pro was getting. I downloaded the Open Hardware Monitor. This has confirmed that both i5 cores were operating at around 60°C, well within normal operating parameters. So, if you're concerned about overheating, I suggest you download a core temperature monitor.

One last thing. Some of these monitors will (apparently) also give information on fan speeds. I've not yet found how to do this. If you find out how, then please post a reply.

In summary. Your fans will probably get quieter over time. Do clean your cooling ducts with a vacuum cleaner, and keep an eye on cooling with a core temperature monitor downloaded from the Internet. In any case, fear little, as your Surface Pro's self-protection features mean it will automatically shut itself down if it's in danger of reaching an unsafe temperature.

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